Royal Navy warships and helicopters spent 21 days in July monitoring Russian naval activity around UK waters and the North Atlantic, as the number of operations to track Russian vessels increased by 25 per cent during the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
Four Royal Navy vessels—HMS Somerset, HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn—were involved in the operations, supported by Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron and Merlin anti-submarine aircraft.
One of the most notable incidents occurred on 20 July when the Russian frigate RFN Neustrashimy carried out live gunnery exercises outside UK and French territorial waters. HMS Tyne was monitoring the Russian vessel at the time and moved to within about five nautical miles as the firing took place.
According to the Royal Navy, the Russian frigate fired around 20 rounds from its 100mm main gun, along with rounds from its 30mm weapon. HMS Tyne continued monitoring the exercise and recorded where the shells landed.
Lieutenant Commander Sam Fields, commanding officer of HMS Tyne, said the ship’s presence and cooperation with allied forces allowed the crew to carry out the mission while other Royal Navy vessels remained available for different operations.
HMS Severn also took part in the monitoring operation. It first tracked the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich as it travelled east from Ushant towards Dover. Later in July, Severn took over from HMS Mersey and spent three days monitoring Neustrashimy as the Russian warship escorted the shadow fleet tanker MV Vulkan through the Dover Strait towards Ushant.
The British patrol vessels later handed the operation back to one another as the Russian frigate headed east.
Meanwhile, HMS Somerset returned to Plymouth on 7 August after spending four months operating in the North Atlantic. The Type 23 frigate travelled more than 24,000 nautical miles while monitoring surface and underwater activity and working alongside NATO allies and the UK’s Carrier Strike Group.
The ship also carried a Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron and took part in operations linked to the protection of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.
The increased naval activity comes amid growing British concern over Russia’s use of vessels associated with the so-called shadow fleet, which is used to transport sanctioned Russian oil.
The UK has sanctioned more than 500 vessels connected to the trade. British authorities say Russian oil and gas revenues fell by 24 per cent year-on-year in 2025.
The Russian frigate Neustrashimy is the lead ship of its class and operates from Baltiysk with Russia’s Baltic Fleet. Admiral Grigorovich belongs to the later Project 11356 class, originally built for the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The British River-class patrol vessels involved in the missions are considerably more lightly armed than the Russian frigates. They are primarily designed for patrol, monitoring and escort duties in UK waters.
The latest operations highlight the growing role of Royal Navy patrol ships in monitoring Russian naval activity close to British waters while allowing larger and more heavily armed warships to focus on higher-priority missions.
